Largish boxes in The Sand Waste,Largish boxes made of ticky tacky, Largish boxes on the sand dunes, Largish boxes all the same. There’s a yellow one and a pink one And a white one and a green one, And they’re all made out of ticky tacky And they all look just the same.

“Explore new views of the California Coast: California Academy of Sciences unveils new 2,000-gallon aquarium tank brimming with colorful marine life

SAN FRANCISCO (June 6, 2014) — Today, the Academy unveiled the latest addition to its aquarium—a colorful and charismatic 2,000-gallon tank filled with strawberry anemones, painted greenlings, and rosy rockfish, giving visitors a glimpse into the vibrant communities that thrive in California’s National Marine Sanctuaries. This striking addition to the Academy’s California Coast aquarium exhibit will become a permanent fixture and will offer spectacular new views and insights into these rich underwater ecosystems, from kelp forests filled with leopard sharks and wolf eels to rocky reefs blanketed in vibrant pink anemones and colorful corals.

“Presenting the wonders of the natural world is at the core of the Academy’s mission, and we’re thrilled to share this new addition to our aquarium with visitors,” says Bart Shepherd, Director of the Academy’s Steinhart Aquarium. “By showcasing the biodiversity found in our own backyard, we hope to engage and inspire visitors with the importance of studying and sustaining these ecosystems—locally and around the world.”

In addition to the exhibit’s larger tanks, a series of jewel tanks showcase some of the area’s most fascinating marine creatures, while interactive displays illustrate the migration pathways of sea turtles, humpback whales, and sharks that pass through these rich marine habitats.

At a Citizen Science station, visitors can contribute to an ongoing Academy research project—and learn more about how to protect California’s vibrant and vital coastal ecosystems. At the Discovery Tidepool, visitors can touch and examine a variety of ocean creatures, where aquarium biologists and docents help visitors of all ages interact with and learn about starfish, sea urchins, and other marine life native to the California coastline. Special magnifying cameras are also available, encouraging an unusually close look at tidepool residents.

In addition to the many informative and interactive exhibits, visitors can learn about marine biodiversity and the importance of sustaining these vibrant ocean ecosystems during daily programs, including:

Coral Reef Dive
Daily at 11:30 am and 2:30 pm
Watch as a diver suits up in SCUBA gear and plunges into the world’s deepest living coral reef exhibit. Outfitted with an underwater microphone, the diver will answer all of your reef-related questions.

Ocean Action – The Power of pH!
Daily at 1:00 pm
Have you ever wondered what sea shells, the ocean, and our atmosphere have in common? Come find out at this fun, experiment-based program as we explore the ocean and its special chemistry. Learn about the simple steps you can take to help keep oceans and the marine animals that live in them healthy.”

OAKLAND – Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr. today announced a settlement to prevent Smoking Everywhere, one of the country’s largest electronic cigarette sellers, from targeting minors and claiming that its products are a safe alternative to smoking.

“Smoking Everywhere aimed ads at minors and falsely claimed its products were safe,” Brown said. “This settlement stops the company from marketing these addictive products to kids or claiming they aren’t dangerous.”

Electronic cigarettes, or e-cigarettes, are battery-operated devices with nicotine cartridges designed to look and feel like conventional cigarettes. Instead of actual smoke, e-cigarettes produce a vapor from the nicotine cartridge that is inhaled by the user.

Smoking Everywhere and other electronic cigarette makers have claimed that e-cigarettes are safe because they contain no carcinogens or tar, and produce no second-hand smoke.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), however, found that some electronic cigarettes contain a variety of dangerous chemicals, including nicotine, carcinogens such as nitrosamines, and one brand also contained diethylene glycol, commonly known as antifreeze.

Some e-cigarettes come in strawberry, chocolate, mint, banana and cookies-and-cream flavors designed to appeal to a young audience.

Today’s settlement prohibits Smoking Everywhere from marketing to minors and from making false or misleading claims about electronic cigarettes. Specifically, the company has agreed that it will not:

– Market or sell electronic cigarettes to minors. Its website will be age-restricted, and a customer will need to show a government-issued ID. Retail products will be behind a counter. Advertising must note the age restriction.
– Sell flavored electronic cigarette cartridges such as strawberry, mint or bubblegum that could appeal to minors.
– Advertise its products as a smoking cessation device unless the FDA approves them for that purpose.
– Claim that its products are safer than cigarettes or contain no tobacco, tar or carcinogens, and produce no second-hand smoke unless there is competent reliable scientific evidence to support the claims.

Smoking Everywhere also agreed to implement quality control standards to eliminate harmful substances in its products and submit to independent audits.

Smoking Everywhere will also provide a Proposition 65 warning that its products contain nicotine, a chemical known to be addictive and to cause birth defects or reproductive harm. The warning must appear on product packaging, Smoking Everywhere’s website and at retail sites.

Smoking Everywhere and its owner will pay $170,000 in penalties and fees.